The following table gives the names, the horse-power, number of guns, of crew, and the tonnage, of the principal ships of the Italian

fleet of war :

The most notable ships of the Italian navy are the three ironclads Venezia, Palestro, and Principe Amedeo. The Venezia was built in England, in 1871, and the Palestro and Principe Amedeo, sister ships, at the royal dockyard of Castellamare, near Naples, where they were launched in 1872. All three carry armour 25 centimeters in thickness, and are armed each with six cannons of 18 tons and one of 25 tons. The speed of the Venezia is fifteen, but that of the Palestro and Principe Amedeo only ten miles an hour. The cost of the latter two vessels was reported to the Italian Parliament to have amounted to 20,000,000 lire, or 800,0001.

The navy was manned, in 1875, by 11,200 sailors, and 660 engineers and working men, with 1,271 officers, of whom were 1 admiral, 1 vice-admiral, 10 rear-admirals, and 83 captains. The marines consisted of two regiments, comprising 205 officers and 2,700 soldiers.-(Official Communication.)

Area and Population..

The first general census of the kingdom of Italy, inclusive of the Pontifical States, annexed by Royal decree of October 9, 1870, was taken by the government on the 31st December, 1871. On this date, the population numbered 26,796,253 souls, living on an area of 296,013 square chilos, or 112,677 English square miles. The density of population was 237 per English square mile, being inferior to that of Great Britain and Ireland, but 20 per cent higher than that of Germany, and 36 per cent. higher than that of France.

The Kingdom of Italy is administratively divided into sixty-nine provinces, the names of which, in alphabetical order, areas in square chilos, number of population on the 31st December 1871, and density of population per square chilo, are given in the subjoined table, drawn up after documents supplied by the Ministero d'Agricoltura, Industria e Commercio to the Statesman's Year-book.

The extent and population of the old political divisions of Italy are shown in the following table :

Emilia

It will be seen that the increase of population in the twelve years from 1859 till 1871 amounted to 1,903,995, being at the rate of about one per cent. per annum. The density of population is greatest in Lombardy and the Island of Sicily; and it is least in the Island of Sardinia. In Lombardy and Sicily the population has increased

most rapidly of late years, and, next to them, in the Island of Sardinia and the Neapolitan provinces.

It is calculated that only two-thirds of the area of the kingdom capable of production are cultivated, and that the rest lies waste. The superficial extent of the productive soil of Italy is 23,017,096 Ellaras, or hectares, divided thus:

Arable land

Meadow land

Rice grounds

Olive plantations
Chestnut plantations

Woods and forests
Pastures

Total

Of the

There are besides 3,997,057 hectares of rock and marsh. land capable of cultivation, more than half is devoted to the growth of cereals, mainly wheat. The average crop is insufficient for the supply of the country.

The great mass of the people of Italy are devoted to agricultural pursuits, and the town population is comparatively small. The number of inhabitants of the principal towns was as follows, at the census of December, 1871::

The city of Rome at Easter, 1872, numbered 256,022 souls. In 1869 the population was returned at 204,678. The latter total comprised 105,569 men and 99,109 women; 7,480 clergy and 'religious,' and 197,198 belonging to the Civil State. The births in the year 1869 were 5,276, or 23.9 per 1,000 of the population; the deaths 5,874, or 26-6 per 1,000; the marriages 1,564, or 7.1 per 1,000. The returns of 1869 stated that there were in the city of Rome 22 seminaries and ecclesiastical colleges, containing 841 persons; 61 religious institutions for men, containing 2,959, and 72 for women, containing 2,256 persons; nine lay colleges, containing 298 persons; 68 conservatoires, nunneries, &c., containing 1,738 persons; seven charity institutions for men, containing 878, and 12 for women, containing 1,216 persons.